EDITORIAL: The Auditor General of Pakistan’s report for 2023–24, revealing staggering financial mismanagement of Rs 28.62 billion within the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), comes at a particularly critical juncture.
As Pakistan reels from the devastation caused by torrential rains and flooding, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where at least 368 lives have been lost and infrastructure destroyed, the findings of this audit raise serious concerns about the NDMA’s effectiveness, priorities, and overall readiness to respond to national emergencies.
The situation is also dire in South Punjab, where overflowing Indus, Chenab and Sutlej rivers have displaced thousands of families. Meanwhile, the recent spell of heavy rains in Karachi brought the country’s commercial hub to a complete standstill.
In the face of such widespread calamities, what was urgently needed was a timely, coordinated, and well-resourced national response from the NDMA. Instead, the audit paints a bleak picture of how the authority has managed—or mismanaged—its mandate and funds.
One of the most troubling revelations is the unauthorised expenditure of Rs 23.254 million from the NDMA Fund on event management services—an inexcusable misuse of resources that should have been directed towards disaster preparedness and emergency relief.
Equally disturbing is the overpriced awarding of Rs 5.674 billion to state-owned entities for Gujjar and Orangi nullah works in Karachi.
While these projects are essential for flood mitigation, the lack of transparency and likely inefficiency in their execution is concerning. Even more egregious is the “mis-procurement of family tents on a pre-qualification basis instead of through open competitive bidding,” resulting in a loss of Rs 4.829 billion. Such practices suggest an alarming pattern of negligence, if not outright corruption, at the expense of vulnerable communities the NDMA is meant to protect.
During recent emergencies, there was little evidence of a centralised, well-organised response. There were no significant NDMA-led rescue operations, no timely distribution of essential supplies, and no proactive flood mitigation planning.
Almost all of visible relief efforts came from provincial disaster management authorities, the military, and civil society groups, while the NDMA remained largely absent.
Unsurprisingly, the NDMA’s limited presence and unclear role in recent relief operations have fuelled public frustration and distrust.
As noted in the AGP report, there was already widespread public dissatisfaction with the authority’s performance, particularly regarding its awareness campaigns, disaster preparedness, and on-ground relief work—dissatisfaction that has likely deepened in light of the recent events.
Going forward, the AGP’s findings must serve as a decisive call for accountability and reform. The place to start would be to investigate and hold to account those responsible for the financial mismanagement detailed in the report. Only then can public trust be restored in the NDMA.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025